Some of the tips to overcome postpartum depression can include consulting a professional, meeting with other moms, getting enough rest, eating healthy, breastfeed only if you want to, exercising a bit, learning to relax, making realistic goals, talk to your partner and lastly not to be hard on oneself.

Giving birth is an emotional roller-coaster ride that could derail your life in the form of postpartum depression. Don’t worry, it is totally okay to be overjoyed one moment and then be in tears the next moment. Anxiety, worry and sadness are all normal after pregnancy and these emotions are usually a part of having Baby Blues. However, if you continue to feel these emotions 2 to 3 weeks after delivering your baby, you could be dealing with postpartum depression.

This condition is prominent in women who have a history of depression and anxiety. Even women dealing with depression during their pregnancy period can get postpartum depression. If you are stressed, battling OCD or lacking support from your partner, family and friends, you could develop postpartum depression.

Source: Huffington Post

Tips on How to Overcome Postpartum Depression

Any woman can become a victim of postpartum depression. How you deal with it will affect your recovery. Here are a few tips that can help you overcome this condition and get you back on track:

1. See a Professional

If you feel anxious, sad, tearful, hopeless, extremely tired all the time, lacking in appetite, miserable and guilty, you may be dealing with postpartum depression. If you continue to feel this way for more than a month after delivery, contact a professional therapist. Your partner or family may not get what you are going through, but a professional can guide you to recovery.

2. Meet Other Moms

If you have a newborn, most of your time will be consumed in taking care of him/her. And it can get pretty isolated at home. In case of women with postpartum depression, they can feel lonely and depressed because of it. Try going out and joining groups for new moms like baby massage groups. You can interact with other ladies with babies and maybe even some who are going through or have gone through postpartum depression before and be each other’s support during this trying time.

3. Have a Good Cry

When you near your delivery date your body will be pulsing with hormones that will make you feel weepy. Once you give birth, your body will be working to get things back to normal. The body can get rid of additional hormones through your tears. So don’t hold back the tears!

4. Get Enough Rest

As a new mother you need to rest. It will help your body repair itself and get over the effects of postpartum depression. Put your partner or family member on baby duty while you catch a few winks. Or, nap when your baby is sleeping.

5. Eat Healthy

All new mothers need to eat healthy to pass on the nutrition to their young ones. But for a woman with postpartum depression, eating right can give her the energy she needs to battle tiredness.

6. Breastfeed Only if You Want to!

A study in International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine says, breastfeeding can reduce your chances of developing postpartum depression. Provided you do it for 3 to 4 months. However, if you already have postpartum depression and don’t want to breastfeed or can’t, it can only worsen your plight.

7. Do Some Exercise

Depression may force you to feel like down and inactive. But by doing some exercise, your body will release endorphins, making you feel better and less depressed. So head to the gym, exercise at home or take your baby out on a stroll. It should also help you make friends.

8. Learn to Relax

When you’re wound up by depression and a tangled mess of emotions, it may cause you to ignore your little one’s crying and which will only make your baby cry more. This can fuel your postpartum depression. When you are not sleeping, try to relax. Put on some soothing music, take a long relaxing bath or get a massage.

9. Create Realistic Goals

Now that you have a baby you won’t have the same amount of time to do everything like you used to. So you will need to create new goals or modify your old ones. Base it all on how much you can realistically handle.

10. Lean on Your Partner

Postpartum depression can strain your relationships. So make it a point to confide in your partner. This way they will have some idea of what you are going through. They could even help out by reducing your work load when it gets overbearing for you.

11. Don’t Be Hard on Yourself

Realize you are going through a difficult time. Even if other moms you know aren’t facing the same situation as you. Don’t overwork yourself. If something is adding to your stress, deal with it when you feel less worked up or ask your partner, family or therapist to help you out.

Also, don’t forget to treat yourself. You’re a new Mommy and you deserve to feel special for being so awesome! Take care of yourself; try not to feel offended when help is offered to you; and last but not the least, learn to think and feel positive. This phase of your life too will pass and joyous days will return.